Hi, my name is Tiffany Lieu, and I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to become part of the Class of 2015 Baldwin Scholars.
I was born and raised in Seattle. While there is the occasional drizzle (I have become quite adept at answering questions about Seattle rain here at Duke), there is so much more that defines Seattle. It is home to plethora hikers and mountaineers, not to mention Starbucks, Amazon and Microsoft. In some regards Seattle’s diversity reflects my own interests—that is, a random assortment of myriad activities. I love being outdoors, be it hiking or reading in the sunshine, swimming, running, reading, and writing.
Academically, my interests are similarly diverse. I love history and English, but am also fascinated by the intricacies of math and science. As such, my major remains woefully undecided. I am fairly certain, however, that I would like to pursue a future in law. When I was little, I used to dream of following in the footsteps of Sandra Day O’Connor and becoming a Supreme Court justice. A wild fantasy to be sure, but one that I still secretly harbor.
Growing up, my father read Harry Potter to me as a bedtime story. While I regret to report that I did not, in fact, receive a Hogwarts admittance letter, I was always inspired by Hermione’s intelligence and penchant for reading. I began reading anything and everything, and to this day find it difficult to extract my nose from the musky depths of a book. Amongst my favorites are Ana Karenina, Little Women, Chekhov’s short stories, and of course the Harry Potter series.
My time here at Duke thus far, though short, has taught me innumerable lessons. Whether I am riveted in class, writing for the Chronicle, working with student government, eating lunch of professors, or studying with friends, it has become unquestionably clear that Duke is a place of countless opportunities. The Baldwin Scholars program and my fellow Baldwins have helped me realize these opportunities. I look forward to, in the presence of such strong, intelligent women, grow even more.